NWSL Chicago Red Stars gain ESPN reporter Sarah Spain as part-owner

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CHICAGO – Emmy award-winning ESPN reporter Sarah Spain is one of the more than ten people added to the National Women’s Soccer League’s Chicago Red Stars investor group.

She is from Lake Forest, a northern Chicago suburb, and has always been a soccer fan even though she didn’t play. Spain was first introduced to the team a couple of years back when she went to her first game. After she had been a fan for a while, the team had a Sarah Spain bobblehead night, solidifying her role as a fan for life and making it that much easier for her to come on as an investor.

“It was a good bit of buttering up. I suddenly became an even bigger fan after that,” Spain said.

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She is also partly responsible for bringing USA Hockey Olympic Gold Medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield, her husband Carolina Panthers offensive guard Michael Schofield and former Chicago Bears defensive end Israel Idonije into the group.

“There’s a couple other names that might be coming out, that I’m in the works of still trying to get to jump on board,” she said.

Spain wants the players to know that she will be an owner for them if they ever need someone to talk to.

She also wants to make professional women’s soccer, not only inspirational to young fans but cool and fun.

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“One of the things that I think is missing in the presentation of women’s sports so often is the sort of fierce factor, the cool factor,” Spain said.

One thing on her list of fun for the women is to get everyone an Apple TV+ subscription so they can all watch Ted Lasso.

“This is very important,” she said.

Spain also wants to give out an award at the end of the year for aggressive play.

“I got a yellow card almost every game my senior year in field hockey, which I still contend had nothing to do with dirty play. It was simply that there aren’t that many six foot tall field hockey players. So then other people would run into me and then they would fall down and I would get blamed for it,” Spain said. That being said, I don’t want to encourage penalties, but I do think there might be some sort of Sarah Spain award for aggressive play.”

Chance the Rapper’s manager Colleen Mares is also on the list of new investors and Spain said she has a lot of ideas for game day experiences. Chance the Rapper is a proud Chicago native and has been seen supporting the WNBA Chicago Sky. Some of Mares’ ideas include pre and post-game concerts and food trucks at the tailgate parties.

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Spain said her new role as a part-owner of the Chicago Red Stars won’t affect her job at ESPN in a major way. When she does cover the team or the NWSL she will make it clear what her personal connection is, but then continue on with her job which is mostly opinion-based.

The Challenge Cup begins on April 9 and the NWSL regular season begins on May 15. The women’s home games are played at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Below is the full list of investors so far:

  • Jessie Becker – Impossible Foods marketing SVP
  • Dean Egerter (founding member) – Harrison Street Real Estate Capital senior advisor
  • Julie Haddon – NFL global brand and consumer marketing SVP
  • Israel Idonije – former Chicago Bears defensive end
  • Jordan Levin – Rooster Teeth, general manager
  • Abel Lezcano – Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finnkelstein & Lezcano, partner
  • Colleen Mares – music executive, manager for Chance The Rapper
  • Michael Raimondi
  • Steve Ritchie (founding member)
  • Kendall Coyne Schofield – USA Hockey Olympic gold medalist
  • Michael Schofield – Carolina Panthers offensive guard
  • Sarah Spain – ESPN reporter
  • Marie Tillman – entrepreneur, Pat Tillman Foundation founder and chairman
  • Brian Walsh – The Walsh Group real estate investment managing director
  • Arnim Whisler (founding member)
  • Kevin Willer – Chicago Ventures partner
  • David M. Zapata – Zapwater Communications, Inc. CEO
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